In Good Hands
by Abboz
Summary: After the Avengers successfully take down yet another criminal organisation, it becomes clear that something isn't right with Black Widow. Whilst Hawkeye is unaware up on his vantage point above them, the other four all rally around to help their teammate. As if seeing their friend like that isn't bad enough, they also have to be the ones to tell Clint.


_Set between Avengers and Age of Ultron (canon compliant with fix-it elements)._

"Alright, I think we got them all. Everyone okay?" Captain America looked over his team, listening to the four men confirm it, one in his ear, as Natasha nodded beside him. "Good." He placed his hands on his hips, turning to survey the streets in case there were any stragglers. "Nice work, everyone. I think we've all earned a break. Dinner's on me."

They all fell silent, taking in the breeze, the silence, or as silent as you can get in a city anyway, finally able to catch their breaths.

"Nat?" Bruce called out to his friend, holding one hand out to her as he took a step closer.

The movement alerting Thor, he too peered at her. He was sure she'd just swayed, looking a little less steady on her feet than the moment before. "Widow, are you feeling alright?"

Hearing the concern, Steve turned back round to them just in time to catch Natasha as she fell towards him. "I've got you." He looked down at her, expecting her to wake just a moment later, but she didn't, so he hauled her into his arms. "Was she hit? Did anybody see her get hit?!"

No one had. But then for her not to say anything she must not have really noticed either. Banner closed the gap between them again, looking at her intently. "Is she bleeding?"

"What? Where?" Steve tried to follow his gaze, wondering where he should be applying pressure, but he couldn't see that far round her.

"Her head? Her neck maybe? I thought I saw a drip."

As he stepped forward to check her, Stark joined them too. Still in his suit, he held his arms out to Natasha. "Give her to me." He started to take her without waiting for a response. "I'll get her to the doc."

Steve obliged, Bruce protecting her head as she was passed over, them both making sure she was safely tucked in Iron Man's arms.

"What are you waiting for?" Asked Thor, gesturing into the sky.

Tony didn't want them thinking he was soft, but he was waiting for J.A.R.V.I.S. to finish planning a flight path, one that would be easier on her without compromising too much speed. "You just find Barton, get him to her side."

Bending his knees, he took off into the sky, and they watched him soaring between the buildings until he wove behind a skyscraper and disappeared from sight.

"Oh, God." Steve turned to the other two, uncharacteristically unsure of what to do with himself.

Luckily, they were the sort of team where any one of them could lead if the situation called for it, and Bruce realised it did. "Where _is _Clint? We need to check in on him, he should've made his way down here by now."

As if on cue, at that very moment an arrow whizzed past them, burying itself in some fallen debris, the grapple head unfurling. A couple of seconds later, and Clint followed its trajectory, landing on the road beside them. "So, where're we going for food?" Retrieving his arrow from the masonry, he tucked it away and then looked round at his teammates. "Where's Nat? And Stark?"

The three other men stared at him, seconds passing between them in silence. He didn't like the dread on their faces. "Where's Nat?"

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat. "Clint..."

"Where is she?" He walked closer, and when he didn't get an immediate response turned to the others, catching sight of the red on Bruce's palm. "What happened? Where's my partner?!"

The fear on the archer's face finally pushed Cap to find his words. "Tony's taken her to the medical bay. We think she hit her head, she lost consciousness."

"What? No, no, no, no. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"They've only just gone. She'll be getting the best medical care." Steve laid a hand oh his shoulder, trying to be calming despite his own concerns. "She's strong, she'll be okay."

"You don't know that." Clint walked away from him, pressing the controls on his bow. None of them wanted to admit that he was right; with the skill and courage that the pair of them displayed, sometimes it was easy to forget that neither of them were actually powered. "I need to get to her."

"Allow me, Hawkeye," Thor suggested, and Clint nodded, knowing that would be the quickest way to reach her.

As the Asgardian took hold of his suit, he steadied himself and told him to go, his thoughts only on Natasha as his friend thrust Mjölnir into the air and they followed where Tony had taken her minutes before.

The instant they landed at the Avengers Tower, Clint took off running, activating his comms. "Stark."

"Room one."

He pushed himself harder, dodging through the intentionally short route between the helipad and the medical bay. That was the best equipped room, though admittedly they were all highly advanced, he just hoped they'd taken her there because of who she was, and not what had befallen her.

"Nat! Natasha!" He burst through the doors of the room then abruptly came to a halt as he saw her, his breath catching in his throat.

She was sitting upright in the bed and she looked pale, much paler than usual, but she was smiling at him. "Clint."

He darted across the room to her side, taking the hand she held out to him, something he suspected was more for his benefit than hers. "Are you alright?" He asked, rushing the words but then looking to the doctor on her other side before she could answer. "Is she alright?"

"She has a mild concussion," the medic explained.

"And a sore head," Tony added from the back of the room, "and she's wrangled a doctor's note for a week off work."

Natasha squeezed Clint's hand so he would listen to her instead. "What he means is that I'm okay."

He leant a little closer, looking her in the eye. "Sure?"

She nodded, pulling her hand out of his to cup his cheek. "Relax."

He looked sceptical but did his best to obey her request, looking back at their friend. "Thank you."

"She's already covered that." Tony stepped further into the room, suddenly even more aware just how big his armour made him. After bringing her in he'd stepped back so the experts could help her, whilst still being there as a friendly face if she'd needed it. Now she was in good hands so he could make sure he definitely wouldn't be in the way. "You're welcome. I'm gonna go get rid of the suit."

Once he'd left, Doctor Turner went back to the monitor at the bedside, running a few more checks now that things were calmer. Natasha stroked the back of Clint's neck, watching him observing the doctor, his hand having come to rest on her thigh.

Needing just a few extra moments, the physician was soon done, turning to the pair of them. "Everything is looking good, Ms Romanoff. Mr Barton, she's not allowed to sleep, you can't let her, but I'm sure you know that."

"What that's it? Aren't you going to check the wound? Do some scans?"

"Hey," Natasha whispered to him, adding pressure to her touch, "she has checked it, don't be that guy."

He regretted it instantly. "Sorry, I just—"

"I know." She smiled. "I'll be back in half an hour for observations and you have an alarm. Don't let her sleep, okay?"

"You've got it, Doc. I know. Thanks."

Once the doctor had departed they were on their own, and Clint immediately moved closer to Nat. It only made about an inch of difference, but she smiled at the intent, dropping her hand onto his arm. "You still feel really tense."

"Of course I do." He started to rub her leg through the blanket. "What happened?"

"I must have hit my head when I was fighting one of them. You know what it's like, you take a hit, you don't notice, adrenaline fades."

"Some backup I am, eh?"

She shook her head, feeling a smile tug at the corner of her lips as she watched him. "You're a great partner, that's why I'm yours. You had eyes on me the whole fight, if the team hadn't been there you'd have found me a moment later, and we'd have been talking so you'd know. You always come running, and I love that."

Clint flicked his gaze down, settling on her lips for just a second before returning to her eyes. "And I love you, Tash, so much." He reached up to cup her face, but hesitated just short of touching her until she put her hand on his and placed his fingers where he wouldn't hurt her. Then with a smile, he drew her to him and softly kissed her, all too happy to oblige when she pulled him back for another.

It was probably too much given the others could walk in at any second, but in that moment he wished they already knew and that it wouldn't matter. Much to their surprise their teammates hadn't found their deeper loyalty unfair and instead had come to appreciate the strengths their partnership gave them. But their marriage had stayed a secret, or at least hadn't been specifically revealed, public affection kept as minimal as it had been at S.H.I.E.L.D., though they had wondered if their shared quarters in the tower would give it away.

The bond between the six of them had proven strong after the Battle of New York almost three years prior, but it had soon become clear there were areas where trust was an issue, so they'd kept it quiet. They had all worked at the trust since then, and the pair thought they were about ready for the reveal, except right after a scare didn't seem like a good time to tell them. Still, Nat was the one that had been hurt, and if she wanted more kisses then she could certainly have them whatever the consequences.

She only wanted to push it for a couple more seconds anyway, then scooted over so he could join her at the top of the bed. It seemed they'd got away with it, so Clint wrapped his arm around her shoulders, figuring that would be safe given her injury. As they speculated on what to do with her time off, promptly deciding to spend it at the Barton homestead, with Laura and their niece and nephew, they had no idea that Tony was stood in the corridor just outside the door.

Having accidentally overheard Clint's confession and glimpsed their kiss, it had made him smile to see his friends so happy and in love, and it didn't hurt to have his theory proven right either. He'd always thought they seemed to melt around each other, and everyone knew there were endless secrets and in-jokes between them. Evidently this supposed safe house they sounded so keen on visiting was another secret, and normally he'd let that lie, but this one had sparked his curiosity. That was also why Tony Stark found himself floundering with confusion when five weeks later they all arrived at that house, and witnessed a whole family greeting Clint.


End file.
